


Compromise

by Ori (magnetium)



Category: True Blood
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-14
Updated: 2009-10-14
Packaged: 2017-12-29 05:39:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1001656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnetium/pseuds/Ori
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric goes back to the vampire court with two requests, this time with a human in tow. A bit of AU, taking place during the early part of Season Two, while the search for Godric was just beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Compromise

The human in the seat beside him should not have been of any particular consequence, and Eric found himself full of a vague anger that she was. There was never a good reason to bring a human to the court, unless they were going to be turned or fed on, and as he intended to do neither with this human, it was ludicrous to bring her with him. Yet here they were, several miles away from the turn-off to the junkyard, and Sookie sat on the black leather seat beside him with a distant gaze as she stared out the window, as if caught in a daydream, seemingly completely unaware of the extreme danger that awaited her.

"When we arrive, you will stay by my side," he told her.

"I won't take orders from you, if that's what you're hoping." Her twang crawled up his spine, the hard R's ringing beyond the words they were attached to. He had a sudden impulse to attack her--whether to kill or to ravish, he wasn't sure.

"That's exactly what you will do if you want to live."

She frowned, and he could see the minute hesitation in her eyes, as plain as writing on a page. She wasn't as fearless without Bill around. For now, the role of protector was being filled by Eric, but an unspoken knowledge hung between them that the title was only temporary. When she had served her purpose in Dallas, things could change.

Still, even without Bill, she could summon impressive bravado. "Don't you threaten me, or I'll get right out of this car and go back to Bon Temps. You can find your friend on your own."

"It's not me you should be afraid of tonight. Bringing you into the vampire court is like sending you into a gladiator arena. No one there will care who or what you are, they'll only want to see your blood."

She wrapped her arms around herself. "You told Bill you could keep them from attacking. If that's not true, I'm not going in."

"I can only prevent your death if you do as I say."

The turn-off was abrupt, a sudden gap in the trees that they darted into so quickly the tires made a small squealing noise as they left the pavement and ascended up the dirt road. Sookie steadied herself with one hand on the low barrier that divided her seat from his. Her other hand was at her throat--possibly an unconscious gesture. He could hear the quick beat of her pulse in her neck and for a moment indulged in a vision of sinking his fangs into her delicate skin. By now, after so many nights with Bill, she would be used to the sensation. She wouldn't struggle against the pain, only against him taking her. Maybe she would press herself against him as he drank... he blinked, clearing the brief fantasy from his mind. He would need complete control to get them both through the evening; distraction would be fatal, certainly to Sookie, and maybe to him.

It had taken some convincing to bring her along without Bill in the first place. As part of his punishment for killing Longshadow, he wasn't allowed back in the vampire court to observe proceedings, seek his own justice, or make requests for the next 100 years. His plan had been to sneak in unnoticed, but Eric didn't believe Bill had really expected that to work. His presence may have remained hidden among a group of humans, but vampires would have sensed him immediately. He had been talked into staying away eventually, although Eric had made several promises as far as Sookie's safety was concerned, and he was not in the habit of making promises.

A night alone with his new vampire would probably be good for Bill, Eric reflected, as he sped the car past the thick forest trees, hardly needing to watch the space ahead that the headlights illuminated. Jessica needed very particular attention, and she wasn't very discerning about where the attention came from. She had nearly driven Eric to violence several times when she was staying with him, whining and carrying on like a puppy locked in a closet. Faced with the choice of female travelling companions on this trip, for once Eric would have chosen the human over the vampire every time.

"Should I have worn something silver?" Sookie's voice cut through his thoughts.

He looked over at her. She appeared worried, her fingers playing with the gold chain around her neck. He shook his head and said, "No, silver would only be an irritant, not a deterrent. There is nothing you could do to stop a vampire from attacking you if they wanted to."

"Well, that's reassuring."

"The truth will keep you safer than lies will." They pulled into the parking area at the dump and Eric shifted hard, stopping the car. "At least in this case."

They both stepped out of the car. The gates loomed before them, tall and rusted. When they walked up to it, Eric knocked three times against the aluminium siding and stepped back to wait. With infinite slowness, the gates were opened, creaking hinges echoing their torture out to the empty countryside. When they had opened enough for a person to pass through, a vampire appeared in the gap. He was tall and black, his dark skin turned almost blue with the pallor of death. He looked at Eric first, then his gaze slid to Sookie and he licked his lips.

"I'm the sheriff of Area 5. This is my ward. We've come to make a request of the Magister."

The vampire turned away from Sookie again to verify Eric's face, then nodded and stepped aside to let them through. As Eric walked by him, the other vampire murmured his desire to make a deal for the human. "She's not for sale," Eric told him, and grasped Sookie's elbow as they slipped through. He felt her flinch from his touch, but she kept walking.

The tunnel leading into the court was coated with blood: dried and fresh, it congealed on the walls and made the ground slick. The smell of it gave Eric an animalistic thrill in the depths of his stomach, making him hungry not just for blood but for a kill. He could tell it was merely making Sookie ill, so he hurried them out into the open area. The last thing they wanted to do was anger the vampires here by contaminating the tunnel with the foul stench of human digestion.

The vampires already in attendance were formed into a loose ring around the Magister and another vampire standing before him. It appeared that trivial matters were being decided at the moment; most of them were ignoring the exchange. Still holding Sookie's elbow, Eric moved through a section of the circle, stepping forward enough to signal his intent to be considered for judgement. He scanned the others, running through a mental list of the ranks and positions in their midst.

Sookie was looking quite nervous at his side. When she spoke, he could hear a little warble in her voice. "Shouldn't we... get in line or something? Is there some kind of order to all of this?"

"We are in line."

She frowned at the large ring of vampires. "Lines usually have beginnings and ends. How can you tell where they are?"

Eric moved her roughly to his other side, away from a vampire that was beginning to eye her lustily. He stared the creature down, asserting his dominance until the other vampire backed away. "Those are human lines. This is different. It's based on seniority."

He was surprised to feel her grasp his arm, then saw the vampire on the other side had reached out and begun to touch her neck. He jostled her forward, out of reach. He could see she was on the edge of panic, so he leaned in and spoke to her in a low, calming voice. He couldn't glamour her, but the dark rhythms of his voice could still produce a subtle hypnosis in most humans. "When humans line up, whoever is in front goes first, no matter what. When vampires form a line, the higher ranked and more powerful ones go first. There are three here that are ranked more highly than me, so they will be seen first. All the others that are beneath me will wait, even if they were here hours ago."

For a moment she seemed to be calmed by his words, then she glanced behind them and moaned a little. "I wish Bill were here."

"I assure you, in this situation you should be glad it's me and not Bill that is here. I am more powerful than he is and a better fighter." He paused. "Although I could not fight them all, nor the Magister, so it would be ultimately futile."

She was still staring back as the vampires behind them in the circle slowly approached, the scent of her blood and sweat attracting them. "Eric, I don't want to die here," she hissed to him. He turned around and glowered down at the others. Most of them were young, one or two hundred years old at the most, and they backed away from his menacing glare.

"I told you this wouldn't be easy."

"Not easy is different than not alive!" She jumped in front of him to avoid an overeager vampire that had moved up in front of the others to grab her. Eric smacked him back, then felt the sudden weight of the Magister's attention on him. He turned back to see that the last of the three above him seemed to have concluded their business. Sookie's yelp had caught the Magister's attention, and the seated vampire now looked down at them with a curious expression.

"Eric Northman, sheriff of Area 5. You have business with this court tonight?"

He led Sookie forward, into the middle of the circle. He could feel her relief as they moved away from the others. "Yes, Magister. I have come to make two requests."

"I see. And you've brought a human as a gift, to make me more inclined to grant them."

"I am not--" Sookie began, stopping only when Eric squeezed her wrist tightly and cleared his throat.

"No, Magister. She is my ward. One of my requests is on her behalf."

A strange laugh came from the Magister's throat. "Sheriff, you are nearly a thousand years old, if anyone here should know that a human can't be a ward of a vampire, it's you. She is property, and you can't ask me to grant a favour to a piece of property."

Eric didn't waver. "Nevertheless. She is my ward."

The Magister stopped laughing. "Do you intend to turn her? I'm sure we'd all like to see that."

"Yes. But not yet," Eric lied. "She is still young. I am waiting for her to... develop further first." He sensed Sookie was about to speak again, and gave her a hard look.

The Magister seemed to accept this. He, like many other very old vampires, had lost the ability to readily judge a human's age. It was a strange weakness among such powerful beings, but after hundreds of years, the difference between 5 or 10 became more difficult to distinguish. Any human would have seen at once that Sookie was no longer a teenager, but the Magister didn't question it.

"Very well, let's hear your requests."

"Godric, my maker and the sheriff of Area Nine, is missing. His lieutenants are fighting amongst themselves, our laws have no one to enforce them, and chaos is beginning to descend. I ask to be made temporary sheriff of Area Nine, until Godric returns or a replacement is found."

A silence had descended on the circle around them. The first serious request of the evening was being made, and the vampires listened eagerly to hear if a shift in power would be made. The Magister shrugged one shoulder and pursed his lips, looking displeased.

"You really _should_ have brought a gift for that kind of favour. You know the position should go to one of his lieutenants."

"Yes. But they have not come to you. I have."

"How will you govern your own Area if you're looking after Godric's?"

"I can travel between them when necessary. _My_ lieutenants, however, are fully capable of overseeing affairs in my stead while I'm in Dallas. I do not expect it to be a problem."

The Magister was silent as he debated, gesturing to an attendant behind him, who leaned down and listened to his whisper, then went to fetch something for him. A minute later, the attendant returned with a glass of what smelled like fresh, not synthetic, blood.

He drank deeply, then spoke again, the blood outlining the spaces between his teeth, staining his gums. "I will grant this request. But when Godric returns, you will step down."

"Of course." Eric didn't mention that even if he'd been granted permanent ownership of the Area, he still would have given it back to Godric.

"What is your other request?"

Eric looked at Sookie. She seemed to have calmed her usual spitfire, finally realising it was in her best interest to stay silent.

"I request a Writ of Safety for my ward. She is an important tool in my search for Godric. I need her alive."

The Magister looked as though he might spit out his mouthful of blood. Then he swallowed and bared his teeth, shaking his head. "You want a Writ of Safety for a human? That is the most ridiculous request I've ever heard."

"I do have something to offer in return." Eric paused, and when the Magister said nothing, he continued. "My business in Shreveport, the bar Fangtasia, is very profitable. I would offer the court a three percent stake in it in return for the Writ."

"What would the court want with three percent of your bar? That's hardly worth our time."

"Respectfully, Magister, my bar produces 1.5 million in gross revenue each year and is still growing."

The attendant came over to take the empty glass and the Magister leaned forward, looking intently at Sookie, then at Eric.

"You're the sheriff of a vampire I sentenced recently, aren't you? He had to be forced to make another. The human-lover."

Eric did not blink, silently cursing Bill but keeping his gaze steady. "Yes."

"Are you learning bad habits from your subjects, Sheriff?"

"No, Magister. I have no regard for this human beyond her use to me. However, as I've said, the vampires in Dallas are in a state of chaos. It will take some time to bring order again. In the meantime I must ensure they respect what is mine."

"Then you will turn her."

"When she is ready, yes."

The Magister sat back in his chair. "A five percent stake."

Eric nodded. "Five percent is fair."

"Fine, your Writ is granted. I hereby decree this... _human_ to be under the protection of the court. Now go, and don't come back and ask me for anything again."

"Thank you, Magister." Eric felt a few threads dissolve in the fine knot in his stomach. He led Sookie away from the middle of the circle, back through the vampires. This time none of them reached out for her. The Writ kept them at bay as easily as if it had been a real forcefield.

Through the tunnel again, this time the blood stirred a deeper hunger in Eric than before, and he knew he would need to feed soon. They emerged into the outside lot and Sookie stepped away from him, shaking herself off like a dog stepping out of a lake.

"Ugh, that place made me feel so dirty!"

"That place just ensured your safety."

"Actually, that was you." She looked at him with something like confusion on her face. "I knew you needed me to help find your friend, but... you gave him a stake in your bar? Why?"

"It was always going to be the only way." He opened her car door. "There was no benefit to the court otherwise."

She sat down in the car and he shut the door, then walked around and got in his side, turning on the engine. "But what about your first request? You didn't have to give them anything for that."

"Power had to be given to someone in Godric's absence. He could have decreed that one of his lieutenants had the position, or he could give to me, so that I would owe him in return. It made better business sense to turn a duty into a favour."

Sookie sat back in her seat, sighing deeply. "It's all so cut-throat. I couldn't stand it."

"You would understand it better as a vampire." He pulled around the lot to the exit and headed out on the dirt road again.

"Well, don't hold your breath. _That's_ not going to happen."

"I'm surprised you haven't discussed it with Bill. As a human you will grow old and die. As a vampire you could live forever with him."

"How do you know I haven't discussed it with Bill?" Sookie crossed her arms, leaning back against the car door and looking very much like a haughty Southern belle.

"Have you?"

She looked away from him, out the window. "It's none of your business what we talk about."

Eric traced the curve of her blouse's neckline with his eyes while she looked away. "You haven't talked about it because Bill doesn't want to. His love is heavily dependent on your human innocence. He would refuse to turn you if you asked."

She turned back to look him in the eye, catching his gaze. "Bill would do anything I asked him to, including that."

Eric raised an eyebrow and returned to watching the road appear in front of the headlights, bit by bit.

"Why did the Magister say it was ridiculous to give the Writ of Safety to a human? I thought that was the whole point of it. To keep humans safe from vampires."

"No. It's to keep vampires safe from other vampires. The Magister often hands down sentences of starvation; when the offenders are released, they are weak, unable to defend themselves. Writs are rarely granted. A vampire must have allies to request it for him--usually he will not be allowed back into the court for a century."

"Like Bill."

Eric nodded once. "Like Bill."

They drove in silence for a few minutes, then Sookie spoke up again. "Thank you... for doing what you did. Giving up part of your bar."

 _Jag gjorde inte den till deras_ , Eric thought to himself. _I didn't do it for you_. To her he said only, "Don't thank me, just do what you were brought here for."


End file.
